Method of producing a linoleum covered desk top



March 27, 1956 J. H. BRINKER ET AL 2,739,640

METHOD OF PRODUCING A LINOLEUM COVERED DESK TOP Original Filed July 13, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 f6 ff@ J6 i IMHII "Hill uw .//3 l 3 f3 'i /f "Wl f4 VH V27,- 1956 Y J. H. BRINKER ET A1. 2,739,640

METHOD OF PRODUCING A LINOLEUM COVERED DESK TOP Original Filed July 13, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 J INVENTgRS.

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BY M M, y M

March 27, 1956 J. H. BRINKER ETAL 2,739,640

METHOD OF PRODUCING A LINOLEUM COVERED DESK TOP Original Filed July 13. 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 ATTRNEYS- METHOD OF PRDU'CHNG A LINOLEUM COVERED DESK T01 Original appiication July 13, 1949, Serial No. 104,506.

Divided and this application .lune 30, 1953, Serial No. 365,052

2 Claims. (Cl. 154-41) This invention relates to desk, table or counter tops, and methods of making the same, and more particularly to a desk, table or counter top having a at working surface merging in smooth curves into side and end walls and having smoothly rounded corners, such top being covered' with linoleum or similar material.

An apparatus for carrying out the method, and for producing such a top, is disclosed in our patent, No. 2,489,- 118 dated November 22, 1949. The present application is a division of our copending application, Serial No. 104, 506, now abandoned, which in turn is a division of said patent.

Linoleum covered desk tops have come into more and more prominent use in recent years because of the fact that linoleum affords an ideal writing surface, being relatively hard and yet very slightly yielding. It avoids the disadvantages of metal in that it is not cold to the touch and stands up better than a highly polished wood surface.

In the development of linoleum covered desk and table tops attempts have been made to provide a top with rounded upper edges and desks have been available on the market in which the front and rear edges of the desk at the top were rounded and covered with linoleum and the end edges and corners have been covered with a metallic strip.

Another development was a desk top having, its four upper edges rounded and covered with linoleum, the linoleum having the corners cut out and covered with a metallic corner plate.

Heretofore, no one has been able to produce a desk or table top having smoothly rounded upper edges on all four sides and smoothly rounded corners, the whole being covered with a single piece of linoleum.

It is an object of our invention to provide for a, novel method of producing a desk top having smoothly rounded upper edges and corners, the Whole being covered with a single piece of linoleum without notched or cut away corners, whereby all undesirable joints in the linoleum are eliminated. The corners of the linoleum, however, are shaped with a suitable trim so that the ede of the linoleum will terminate approximately ush with the edge of the steel sub-top.

These and other objects of our invention whichwe shall describe in more detail hereinafter, or which will appear to those skilled in the art as the description proceeds, we ac.- complish by that certain construction and arrangement of parts and by that series of method steps of which we shall now describe exemplary embodiments. J

It is to be understood that when we refer to a desk top hereinafter, we use the term as inclusive of table tops and counter tops, and that the word linoleum is inclusive of various materials on the market having qualities and characteristics similar to linoleum.

In the drawings which form a part hereof:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a female mold element and its supporting structure.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the same.

2,739,640 Patented Mar. 27, 1956 rice Figure 3,` is a fragmentary cross sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on the line 3---3` of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary pla-n View of one corner of Figure l on an enlarged scale.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a plan view onl a reduced scale of a desk top according to my invention.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary perspective View of a corner of a desk top on a greatly enlarged scale.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary cross' sectional view taken on line 8-8of Figure 6 on an enlarged scale.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of Figure 7.

Figure I0 is an exploded cross sectional view taken on the line 10--10 of Figure 2, but ou an enlarged, scale showing the female mold'v element with its supporting structure, a sheet of covering material, a, desk top, a backing piece and a clamp.

Figure 11 is a view similar to Figure 10 showing the sheet of4 linoleum in position in the female mold element and the desk top about to be placed thereon.

Figure 12 is a view similar to Figures 10 and l1 showing the entire assembly clamped together.

Figure 13 is a view similar to Figure 5, but showing the covering material and desktop in. position.

Figure 13a is a view similar.` to Figure 13, showing a modified clamp.

Figure 14 is a bottom Aplan view of the desk top with the linoleum or covering material secured thereto.

Figure 15 is a fragmentary perspective view of a trim strip.

. Figure. 16 is a plan view of a trim strip showing the manner of forming it.

Figure 17 is a View similar to Figure 14, but showing the trim strip in place.

Figure 18 is a side elevational viewV of a stack of 1inished desk tops in storing position, while the adhesive ma terial is setting.

Figure 19 is a. viewsimilar tov thev left hand end of Figure 12, showing a modified clamp,` assembly.

Briefly, in the` practice of our invention, we provide a supporting structure indicated generally at 10. mounted on suitable legs 11 and. carrying, the female m-old element indicated generally at 12. The female mold element has a fiat bottom portion and curved pieces forming side and end members` as indicatedl at 13 andv 14 respectively. These terminate in vertical planes at right angles to each other at the end-s of the adjacent side and end pieces.

In the particular embodiment illustrated, the bottom portion of the mold, is made of wood or Masonite, while the. members 13 and 14 are made of metal. It will be clear that the particular material used does` not form a limitation upon our invention and that the structure was made in this particular way as a matter of convenience.

Hinged to the supporting structure as at 15 is a plate member 16 upon which is mounted a corner piece 17. The plate 16 carries a bracket 18 to which is pivoted a link 19 carrying a locking piece 20 by means of a bolt and lock nut indicated at 21. The locking arm 19 is actuated by means of a handle member 22 in the form of a bell crank having its short arm pivoted to the link 19 at 23 and-being pivoted at 24 to a link 25 which has its other end ,pivoted on the bracket 18 at 26. It will be noted that the pivot point 23 (see Figure 5) is slightly to the rightof the center between the pivot points 24 and 26, thus constituting what may be called a dead center locking mechanism. The locking piece 20 engages edges of the supporting structure 10 as best seen in Figure 4.

It.will be clear, if the handle 22 is pushed down, as soon as the liney connecting the pivot points 24 and 26 OIl passes the pivot point'23,vv downward movement of the u lever 22 lifts the arm 19 and the locking piece 20 so that the entire plate 16 may swing down about its pivot 15 to the position shown in broken lines in Figure 5. In relocking, it is simply necessary to lift upward on the member 22 which carries the entire plate 16 upward until the corner piece 17 is in position, which also carries the locking piece 20 into position to engage the supporting structure and then a final slightly upward movement of the handle 22 brings the linkage into the locked position shown in solid lines in Figure 5.

It is necessary that the corner piece be accurately adjusted so that it seats correctly at the corners of the female mold element and for this purpose we secure the corner piece 17 to the plate 16 by four screws 27 disposed in substantially square arrangement and opposed by a screw 28 which is threaded through the plate 16 and bears against the underside of the block 17.` In this way, we

- and effects a locking action of the dead center type.

are able to very accurately adjust the position of the corner piece 17.

It will be understood, of course, that the structure of Figures 4 and 5 is reproduced at each corner of the female mold element.

In Figure 13a we have shown a slight modification of the corner piece locking mechanism in whichithe parts are given reference numerals corresponding to those in Figures 5 and 13 with the suffix a. The linkage is the same as that described above except that it is elevated on the plate member 16 by means of the spacers 18b, so that the link 19a in locking position will be above the edges of the supporting structure 10, and the position of the locking piece a is inverted. We have 4found that'this modified arrangement is somewhat easier to operate, since it eliminates possible interference between the locking piece 20a and the structure 10 during upward movement of the plate 16.

The desk top which is to be covered with linoleum is indicated at 30 in Figure 10 and it constitutes the male member of the mold. Because the surface of the top 30 is sheet metal and in order to secure thorough contact with the linoleum in the mold, we provide a backing piece indicated generally at 31 comprising the rectangular board or base bearing a series of blocks on its under side, certain of these blocks 32 being narrow so as to enter in the bracing channels 33 on the underside of the desk top and other blocks 34 of a size to tit between the bracing channels 33.

To clamp the desk top and backing member against the sheet of linoleum in the mold, we provide a number of clamps comprising I-beam members 35. The I-beams 35 are clamped in position by a structure comprising links 36 pivoted to adjusting screws -37 passing through holes in the l-beam 35 and secured by the nuts 3S. Pivoted to the lower inturned end of the link as at 39 is a lever 40.

The members 40 have slightly curved locking ngers 41 which engage in grooves 42 in metallic strips 43 suitably secured to the underside `of the supporting structure 10. The lugs 41a abut against the lower inturned ends of the link 36, just past dead centerposition.

The nuts 38 are adjusted so that when the assembly is in the position of Figure 12, some pressure is required to move the lever 40 to the position shown in Figure 12 to lock the assembly together. The structure just described is repeated at the other end of the I-beam 5, and two or more of such I-beams are used to clamp the assembly together.

ln Figure 19 we have shown a modified arrangement for clamping the assembly together. Here the supporting 4 of the locking lever 40a engages the block 42a as shown, The structure in Figure 19 is of course repeated at both ends of each I-beam 10a.

The procedural steps in preparing the desk top are as follows:

A sheet of linoleum indicated at 44 is placed in the female mold member as shown in Figure ll. It will be noted that the corner pieces 17 are dropped down outof the way so that the sheet of linoleum may curve smoothly at the ends and sides With the corner portion extending out through the open corners of the female mold element. The surface of the desk top 30 is then coated with a suitable cement and it is placed on top of the sheet of linoleum in the mold as shown in Figure ll. The backing member 31 is then placed on the desk top 30 and the I-beams 35 are clamped in position as shown in Figure 12. Then the corner pieces are swung into position as shown in Figure 13.

lIt will be notedthat in following our procedure outlined above, the curves at the sides and ends of the desk top are first produced, while letting the corners of the linoleum take whatever shape is forced upon them;` then by means of the corner pieces the corners of the linoleum are compressed intoposition in adhesive engagement with the corners of the desk top. In this way, an entirely smooth unwrinkled covering of a desk top is achieved without notched or cut away corners in the linoleum and without having to cover the corners with metallic corner pieces or the like.

To finish the appearance and to protect the linoleum around the bottom edges'of the desk top, a narrow trim strip isv applied, as is common practice on desk tops. The

trim strip is indicated generally at 45 and is provided with an upstanding ange 46 having a slightly inturned edge 47. The portion 45 .is drilled at suitable intervals as `at 48. We prefer to make the trim strip for the en-v tire periphery of the desk in two pieces with joints approx-1 imately at the centers of the opposite end edges of the desk. The piece of trim 45 as shown in Figure 16 is therefore of a length substantially equivalent to onehalf the periphery of the bottom edge of the desk top. At two points 49 at which the corner bends are to be made, we cut away the portion 45 to permit curving of the portions of the trim strip therebeyond at right angles to the center portion as indicated by the broken lines in Figure 16.

We prepare two such pieces and secure them to the desk top by driving self-threading screws through Vthe holes 48 as indicated at 50, and the finished desk top will have the appearance from underneath shown in the Fig# ure 17.

Referring back to Figures 6 to 9 inclusive, it will be' noted that the radius of curvature in a vertical plane diagonally through the corners (Figure 9) is greater' than the radius of curvature in a vertical plane normal4 to the side or end edges (Figure 8). We have found that by making thecurvature diagonally through the corners at 17a, isvr not a spherical concavity, but the radius of structure 10 rests on a number of transverse l-beams 10a. y"

' l`he link 36 is in two parts, 36u and 3612, which are pivoted together at 36s. The link 36a is secured to the end of the I-beam 10a by means of a bolt 37a and nut. 38a. The

end of the link 36h is inturned and has pivoted to it the locking lever 40g-as at39a. A notched block 42a is secured tothe l-beam 35 at its end, and the short arm curvature'in the vertical planes of the edges of thecorner pieces is sharper than it is in a vertical plane bisecting the vertical dge planes. 1 The'desk top is left in the mold as shown in Figure l2. until thetrim strip has been secured in position as shownv inFigure 17. Once the trim strip is in position, it willv hold thelinoleum in place while the adhesive is setting; and we therefore remove the completed desk top from the mold and place it' in a stack as shown in Figure 18 where thecompleted desk tops indicated generally at 60 are placed face to face and back to back on a supporting member 61;v` -We finish olf the stack with a board 62and 5 place suitable weights W thereon. Such a stack of desk tops may then be left for as many hours as necessary for the particular cement which is being used to set completely.

It will be clear that numerous modifications will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art and we therefore do not intend to limit ourselves as to the structure or method steps otherwise than as set forth in the claims which follow.

Having now fully described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. The method of producing a linoleum covered desk top having a substantial thickness, and having a flat top surface, and smoothly rounded upper side and end edges and corners, and having a trim strip around the lower side and end edges and corners, which includes the steps of preparing a desk top having the above described configuration, cutting a at piece of linoleum into a generally rectangular shape having a length and width substantially only equal to the length and width of said desk top including said rounded edges, and having rounded corners, coating said desk top with an adesive substance, placing said piece of linoleum thereon, and first pressing it firmly against said at top surface of said desk top and down along the smoothly curved side and end edges, while permitting the corner portions of said piece of linoleum to distort freely, and secondly, and while maintaining said firm pressure, compressing said corner portions of said piece of linoleum inwardly against said smoothly rounded corners of said desk top, so as to conform thereto free of folds and wrinkles, maintaining said pressure while attaching said trim strip, and then removing said pressure.

2. The method of producing a linoleum covered desk top having a substantial thickness, and having a at top surface, and smoothly rounded upper side and end edges and corners, which includes the steps of preparing a desk top having the above described configuration, cutting a at piece of linoleum into a generally rectangular shape having a length and width substantially only equal to the length and width of said desk top including said rounded edges, and having rounded corners, coating said desk top with an adhesive substance, placing said piece of linoleum thereon, and rst pressing it firmly against said dat top surface of said desk top and down along the smoothly curved side and end edges, while permitting the corner portions of said piece of linoleum to distort freely, and secondly, and while maintaining said firm pressure, compressing said corner portions of said piece of linoleum inwardly against said smoothly rounded corners of said desk top, so as to conform thereto free of folds and wrinkles.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 536,841 Roengk Apr. 2, 1895 766,462 McFarland Aug. 2, 1904 879,865 Godfrey Feb. 25, 1908 1,259,287 Regenstein Mar. 12, 1918 1,642,066 Gibson Sept. 13, 1927 1,833,702 Anthony Nov. 24, 1931 2,028,076 Norris Jan. 14, 1936 2,149,507 Camfield Mar. 7, 1939 2,293,184 Weissert Aug. 18, 1942 2,312,007 Thrasher Feb. 23, 1943 2,319,267 Sawyer May 18, 1943 2,420,522 Daly May 13, 1947 2,556,060 Brinker June 5, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 371,344 Great Britain Apr. 18, 1932 

